USU’s Fledgling dance crew seeks recognition

After becoming an official club more than a year ago, Utah State University’s My Bad Crew presidents want to be taken seriously as a street style dance team.

My Bad Crew, founded by presidents Joey Guerts and Brett George, is one of three dance teams in USU’s Caine College of the Arts.

The club started in an attempt to make the USU dance program stronger and provide an alternative style of dance to the already hip-hop and lyrical teams.

“We saw that other colleges have a lot of up and coming talent and at USU we don’t have a very good dance program,” George said. “In order to stay competitive and attract better dancers we needed to create our own team.”

However their amateur status makes it difficult to gain recognition.

“We are the new team and we don’t want to be known as the little brother anymore,” Guerts said. “We want to show we are just as capable.”

Because the team is more established this year Guerts and George are now focusing on increasing the clubs notoriety. They hope to attract the attention of current and future USU students who in most cases only recognize the Velociti and Full Circle dance teams.

“We have accomplished our first goal which was to start our own club,” Guerts said. “Now the one thing we don’t have is credibility because we haven’t been around as long as the other dance teams.”

In addition to performing at multiple school functions, George hopes to gain recognition from the club’s music videos.

“Every semester we film showpiece videos and hire a professional filmographer who posts them to YouTube,” George said. “We have gotten a few hundred hits which is nothing too great, but it is a start.”

Both George and Guerts admit achieving greater recognition takes time. They hope the club will continue to develop over the years. 

“Our goal is to keep it going as long as we can,” George said. “We are keeping our eyes out for someone we can pass the torch to.”

This year finals week gives USU swimmers a break from the pool

With the fall semester coming to an end, Utah State University students are preparing for their upcoming finals and members of the USU swim club are taking a break from their everyday early morning practices.

“This time of year we start cutting back on practices during finals week,” said team captain Katie Pulley. “The practices aren’t as hard and we have minimized the amount of yardage we swim.”

USU swimmers, who are required to attend three out of the five practices a week, wake up at 6:30 each morning for two-hour long trainings.

“Practices are a commitment for students,” Pulley said. “It is hard for swimmers to motivate themselves to get up that early especially when they are so busy with homework.”

According to Pulley, school is the swim team’s first priority.

“We are just a club sport,” Pulley said. “Swimming should take a backseat during finals week so we have decided not to hold any organized practices.”

Swimmer Leia Boyd is grateful she can take a break from the pool and focus on preparing for her upcoming finals.

“It’s nice because a lot of my finals are at 7:30 in the morning,” Boyd said. “I can sleep in and I don’t have to be tired from swimming.”

Her teammate, Jenna Moore, agrees.

“It is nice to focus on your tests because there is a lot of pressure that week,” Moore said.

Pulley said the most important event is the national swim meet that takes place in April. While other sports clubs have to continue practice during finals week swimmers don’t begin demanding training until next semester.

“We can afford to make practices a little easier because we don’t have any meets we are working for right now,” Pulley said. “Our next meet isn’t until after the break.”

Captain Marcus Singleton disagrees and worries the break could put USU swimmers at a competitive disadvantage with other university swim clubs.

Singleton hopes swimmers will discipline themselves to hold private swim practices over the break.

“I encourage swimmers to practice over the break, especially the ones that are likely to go to nationals,” Singleton said.

Although Pulley and Singleton acknowledge the competitive nature of swimming, both admit the club is more about having fun.

“We take practices more seriously once it gets closer to nationals,” Pulley said. “But most swimmers don’t qualify for nationals so we just try to make the team fun and we enjoy hanging out with each other.”

TSA shifts its focus to community events

Utah State University’s Caine College of the Arts Theater Student Association has shifted their focus from independent show production to community events.

According to TSA president Jason Craig West, before this semester, the association only funded and produced shows that involved students within the theatre department.

“Now the shows are for anyone,” West said. “We hold events that are meant to create growth, unity and friendships in and out of the department.”

In addition to the presentation of mainstream shows that require an admission fee, independent productions are still organized within the department. However, the TSA has relinquished responsibility to the students.

“We still help promote students who have a desire to put on their own independent shows but we are not longer in charge of them,” West said.

West said the department’s recent downsize was the primary factor that prompted the change.

“We don’t have enough man power for both independent and main stream productions,” West said. “But we still want to allow students the opportunity to perform.”

Rachel Van Kampen, who has been an official member of the TSA for two years, is excited about the recent modifications. Van Kampen believes that more students will now have the opportunity to showcase their talents.

“To me, the change allows for more outreach, not only within the theatre department, but all around campus,” Van Kampen said.  “I think everyone should have involvement in theatrical productions, and this change is a step in that direction.”

Van Kampen founded her own theater club, True Blue Sketch Comedy, with theater student Jake Smith.

“If the TSA hadn’t made this change, then I doubt I would have been given the opportunity to showcase some of the talents in True Blue,” Van Kampen said. “TSA gave us a start and I couldn’t be more grateful for that.”

While the TSA encourages the participation of non-theater students, it also encourages its members to get involved with USU campus events.

“We try to connect with students so they know who the theater department is and we do that by getting involved with campus events,” West said. “If we are going to succeed at gaining notoriety we need to branch out.” 

USU men’s volleyball team gains confidence after winning their first tournament

Utah State University men’s volleyball club has high expectations for the upcoming season after winning the Utah State Men’s Open.

The preseason tournament took place Friday Nov. 9 and featured 12 schools invited by USU.

           

“I have been on the team for four years and this is the first tournament we have ever won,” said senior Andy Rawlings.

Motivated by the win, Rawlings anticipates similar results at the next tournament that will take place at Utah Valley University during the second weekend of December.

Patrick Law, the club’s vice president, believes better organization and stronger players has contributed to the team’s recent success. Additionally, Law attributes the overall improvement of the team to the new club president Miles Maynes.

“We didn’t have a president last year and that caused a lot of drama,” Law said. “Miles has definitely added a lot of solidity to the team.”

Maynes’ main goal was to turn the men’s volleyball club into something players are excited to be a part of.

“I run the club the way I would want a club to be run,” Maynes said. “I think the players are more committed this year because I have given them something to commit to.”

Maynes and Law, both seniors, want to see the success of the club continue after they graduate. They have already started preparing two players to replace them next year.

“I think we have a good thing going and players enjoy the camaraderie of the team,” Maynes said. “I would hate to see it end after we leave.” 

Service Center's Stuff-a-Bus Collects food donations for the Cache Community Food Pantry

Every Monday during November and December, student volunteers go door-to-door collecting food from residential areas in Logan as part of the Utah State University food drive Stuff-a-Bus. 

Stuff-a-Bus was founded in 1996 by the USU Parking and Bus Transportation supervisor Alden Erikson. It started in response to the growing need for canned food during the holiday season.

Today the club is managed by the USU service center. They continue the goal of collecting thousands of pounds of food for the Cache Valley Food Pantry as well as raising money for the Cache Valley Sub for Santa.

“Stuff-a-Bus is the largest food drive in Cache Valley,” said service center president Jeremy Neff. “We make the biggest donations to the food pantry each year.”

The service center attracts members from multiple organizations on campus including those from sororities and fraternities, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the Associated Students of Utah State University.

“It is a great opportunity to serve,” Neff said. “My goal is just to get as many students involved as possible but I think so far we have done a great job.”

Volunteer Mike Murray, a senior at USU, believes being a part of Stuff-a-Bus is a great way to give back to the community. He enjoys witnessing the generosity of Logan residents.

“There are some people that turn us away but I think it is honestly because they can’t donate,” Murray said. “But it is a neat experience to see people give the little they do have.”

Neff, who has been in charge of Stuff-of-Bus for three years, said he has been surprised by some of the resident’s donations.

“Once we found $150 with canned food on someone’s porch,” Neff said. “People really do want to help out.”

While pleased with its continuing success, Neff admits some days are better than others.

“Sometimes we get a ton of people and fill three buses other times five buses,” Neff said. “Regardless I am always pleased with the turnout.”